Resources for prospective foster parents | New Rhythm Project

Currently the United States has more than 400,000 kids in the foster system, more than 100,000 of which are available for adoption. In DC alone, there are 1,797 children in foster care, 357 of which are available for adoption.?As we wrap up National Foster Care Month, we?d like to refer you to an earlier post about getting involved with foster care and offer a few more resources for you should you wish to take the next step and donate your time or money to help children in foster care.

Educate yourself:

• Child welfare/foster care statistics.?These resources provide state and national data on the number of children in the child welfare system, trends in foster care caseloads, and well-being outcomes. Learn about sources of data and statistics on children and families in the child welfare system and considerations for understanding the limitations and potential use of the available data.
• FAQs about foster care. These questions cover the basics of how foster care works.
• Foster care reading. This is a list of fiction and non-fiction books that will provide information about the foster care system.
• Homestudy requirements for prospective foster parents.?This product presents State laws and policies for licensing or approving family foster homes.

Prepare yourself:

• Time for learning about foster care handbook. Being a foster parent means taking the hand of a child or adolescent and becoming a guide for a period of time during the child?s life. At the same time, foster parents have similar needs for stability, a way to handle intense emotions, and a method for organizing the world and anticipating events. This handbook is intended to be a guide to help meet those needs.
• What kids want foster parents to know.?In the writing contest in the last issue of Fostering Perspectives, children and youth in foster care were asked, ?If you were a foster parent, what would you do to help the children living in your home?? These are their answers.

Invest in programs that reach out to kids in foster care:

• DC127. This is an initiative launched by The District Church to unite DC churches around the foster care crisis and reverse it so families are waiting for children and all children available for adoption have a forever family. Read more.
• 4kids. This nonprofit in South Florida is committed to helping kids in crisis.
• together we rise. This group provides foster kids with suitcases so when they move to another home, they don?t have to transport their possessions in a trash bag.
• KidsPeace. This is a private charity?dedicated to serving the behavioral and mental health needs of children, families and communities.

Source: http://www.newrhythm.org/resources-for-prospective-foster-parents/

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